Accidents Highlight the Need To Maintain V2 Speed

Both the December 2012 crash of a Dornier Do-228 on takeoff from the Nepalese capital Kathmandu and the recent crash of an Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia at Lagos in Nigeria have called attention to the need to train pilots in the importance of both attaining and maintaining V2 (takeoff safety speed) by the time the aircraft reaches 35 fet above the runway. In both accidents, the aircraft stalled and crashed shortly after liftoff.

V2 is defined as the minimum speed at which a multi-engine transport aircraft can be expected to fly safely after the failure of one engine.

In a review of the Dornier accident, investigators learned that all pilot training at the carrier was conducted in the aircraft itself and not in any kind of full-motion simulator. This means the pilots were never able to experience the flight characteristics of the aircraft on liftoff when one engine had failed, because such training in an actual aircraft is considered unsafe.

In the Brasilia crash, it is unclear if that aircraft ever achieved even V1, the takeoff decision speed, let alone V2 before the pilot flying attempted to pull the aircraft into the air.